Russia claims four medals at the inaugural FIVB Beach Volleyball Anapa Open

The 2013 FIVB Anapa Open podium with Germany's Flüggen/Walkenhorst (silver), Russia's Koshkarev/Semenov (gold) and Pastukhov/Krasilnikov (bronze), also from Russia

Anapa, Russia, July 28,
2013 – Host country Russia can look back on a very successful first edition of
the FIVB Anapa Open, winning four out of six medals at the double gender event.

On Sunday Konstantin
Semenov and Yaroslav Koshkarev claimed a second gold medal for the host country
after Evgenia Ukolova and Ekaterina Khomyakova won the women’s event on
Saturday.

Both bronze medals went to
Russia’s Maria Prokopeva and Svetlana Popova and Alexey Pastukhov and Viacheslav
Krasilnikov.

First gold medal for
Semenov and Koshkarev

Russia’s Konstantin Semenov
and Yaroslav Koshkarev claimed their first gold medal on Sunday at the FIVB
Anapa Open. In a thrilling final they defeated Germany’s Lars Flüggen and
Alexander Walkenhorst 2-1 (25-23, 24-26, 15-13).

Russia’s Alexey Pastukhov
and Viacheslav Krasilnikov, who came all the way from the qualifications, won
the bronze medal without playing. Their opponents Finn Dittelbach and Eric
Koreng from Germany had to forfeit because of health problems. More

Another Russian-German final
in Anapa

The inaugural FIVB Anapa
Open will feature another Russian-German final on Sunday, just like the women’s
gold medal match on Saturday. Top seeded home team Konstantin Semenov and
Yaroslav Koshkarev will play Germany’s Alexander Walkenhorst and Lars Flüggen
at 15:00 on the centre court of Volley Grad.

Both teams never played a FIVB final before. While the German team never even
won a FIVB medal before, Semenov and Koshkarev are the proud owners of a bronze
medal they won in The Hague in 2011. More

The
Anapa Open is the second of seven FIVB Open events this year. The next
tournament on the FIVB Open calendar is the double gender Vizag Open in India (September
4-8).

Russia will host another event in a few weeks when the World Tour visits
Moscow. The Grand Slam is held from August 21-25.